Day Five: Listening Prayer

Ephesians 6:19-20 – Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains.

“There are many ways in which we practice being open to God’s presence and grow in hearing His word—Scripture study, worship, prayer, and meditation. When I speak of listening to God’s voice, I mean developing a practice of communion with the Father in which we are constantly asking, “Lord, what do you want me to do now? How do you want to use me? How should I pray? Whom do you want me to evangelize? Is there someone you want to heal?” Sometimes the Holy Spirit give me specific insights about people for whom I am praying. These come as impressions—specific words, pictures in my mind’s eye, or physical sensations in my body that corresponds to problems in their bodies. These impressions help me know who and what to pray for as well as how to pray.” [John Wimber]

The ‘how to’ in praying in/by the Spirit, is about the openness and willingness to hear and to obey the Spirit’s leading, which comes with His empowering. Hence, it becomes as much about listening as it is about praying/asking.

Lord Jesus, we pray for hearts that are open and listening to your Spirit’s leading and convictions. Show us of your heart and will over every area of our lives. In Jesus’ name, amen.

– GK

 

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Day Four: Always Alert

Ephesians 6:18 (NLT) – Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

1 Peter 4:7 (NIV) – Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. 

“Paul considered prayer to be above all an activity empowered by the Spirit. It also indicates the crucial role the Spirit plays in our continuing ‘warfare’ against Satan. For Paul, the concern was not only that they be clothed with the armor that Christ provides in the gospel, but that they take the enemy on by Spirit-empowered proclamation and by Spirit-inspired praying. The context is one of conflict…only praying in the Spirit will suffice in such conflict.” [Gordon Fee]

We so often look at the Christian life only with a defensive outlook—that we have to guard ourselves against the enemy’s attacks. However, as this passage suggests, our lives of prayer in the Spirit is also about being empowered to ask the Lord to set the people free from sin, from bondage, from any and all things that keep them from knowing the Lord. This is what is happening when we evangelize, and when we decide to pray and engage our small groups.

Father, we ask for your empowering to pray for those in our small groups, that they will experience your presence, your healing, and your freedom. We also pray for the harvest that we are to gather. Ready us to go out, and also ready the people to receive your word. May your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus’ name, amen.

– GK

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Day Three: On All Occasions

Ephesians 6:18 (NIV) – And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

The words “on all occasions” is to describe time, situation, and place. The biblical imagination of Paul is to have God’s people so immersed in the Spirit’s presence and empowering, that in all occasions and circumstances we are filled and empowered by the Spirit to pray. We are not to be limited to certain situations or environment to be ‘filled’ and praying in the Spirit—i.e.: Sunday worship or ministry settings. Rather, every occasion, every situation, moment by moment, we are to be live by praying in/by the Spirit—always on!

Today let’s pray in dependence and expectation, where our prayers cross all places, all boundaries, every situation and occasion, and all issues that we daily face. From our need to grow closer to the Lord issues, to our lives together issues, to ministry issues, to family issues, to work issues. All these areas are to be dealt with and succeeded in and through the life of prayer. As you pray, worship with the song “More to Come” by Kristian Stanfill.

Lord Jesus, may your kingdom come into every area of our lives. We confess that we so often tend to compartmentalize our lives. Lord, have your way in our lives, in our homes, in our workplaces, in your church, and in the ministries that we are engaged in. In Jesus’ name, amen.

– GK

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Day Two: Praying On!

Ephesians 6:18 (NLT) – Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

The praying ‘in the Spirit’ as mentioned by Paul has to do with the kind of praying that is inspired and empowered by the Holy Spirit.  This is in contrast to the reactionary kind of prayers that comes out of our mouths in response to life’s difficulties and absurdities. “[W]e need to lean more heavily on praying in/by the Spirit…Prayer is not simply our cry of desperation or our “grocery list” of requests that we bring before our heavenly Abba; prayer is an activity inspired by God himself, through his Holy Spirit. It is God siding with his people, and by his own empowering presence, the Spirit of God himself bringing forth prayer that is in keeping with God’s will and his ways.” [Gordon Fee. GEP, 731]

So what prayer does is to take the matter out of our hands into God’s hands. As we pray in the Spirit, the issues that we felt were once ours alone, they are now placed before the Lord. The deeper we go in prayer, the more the Spirit brings forth prayers that are now in keeping with His ways.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we pray that we will be taken deeper into your presence, where our life burdens are no longer our own. As we surrender them to you, fill our mouths with prayers are that are in keeping with your will and your ways. In Jesus’ name, amen.

– GK

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Day One: Always On!

Ephesians 6:18 (NIV) – And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

The exhortation of today’s verse to “…pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests,” is not a stand-alone imperative/command, rather it is linked to the previous passages on the armor of God that all Christians need to put on. Hence today’s verses are not to be taken as a call for the lifting of casual/occasional prayers, nor the ‘on-off’ approach to the Christian life as the common Christian experience. Rather Paul writes with a sense of urgency and sober-mindedness (alert), that prayer in/by the Spirit is to be a constant daily reality (walk by the Spirit), for this is the way that we remain “strong in the Lord and in his mighty power (Eph 6:10).”

Let’s be encouraged today to put off any tendency that causes us to approach the Christian life with an ‘on-off’ approach. Rather, spend time praying today and being always on!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we pray for the Spirit’s presence and empowering today. Help us not be on and off when it comes to prayer. We pray for an increase of the Spirit’s activity to engage you as we pray for the churches. May your church be blessed and empowered today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Worship with the song “Hymn of Surrender” by Matt Redman.

– GK

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Day Five: Be Strengthened Everyday!

Romans 8:38-39 (NIV) – For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 6:17 (NIV) – Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

“God’s salvation is the ultimate assurance of protection. From the treatment of salvation earlier in the letter, this salvation is both present and future.” – [Klyne Snodgrass, Ephesians NIVAC, p. 343].

Paul is telling the church of Ephesus, and us, to take up – that is, to receive as gift again – salvation. It is not that we haven’t already experienced God’s rescue, but salvation is a gift held out by God again and again, fresh each day. He holds out his rescue, his love, his forgiveness for us to pursue and experience, as we hear the Lord daily sing in his delight over us.

Today, let’s turn away from other ways of living, or putting our trust in other things, and instead, turn to the Lord and receive his gift of salvation again. As we do this, let’s worship to the song, “Thank You Song” by Upperroom.

Prayer: Lord, I turn from other ways of trust and living and I turn to you Lord. Thank you for your song over me that strengthens and keeps me in your salvation. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

– LB

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Day Four: Peaceful Readiness

Ephesians 6:14-15 (NIV) – Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

“We seek a carefree life. It does not exist. Our conceptions of life and especially of retirement must change. Life’s goal is not on ‘golden pond,’ and Christians are not called to tranquility. We are called to peace, yes, but peace in the midst of struggle. This peace does not render us inactive; it makes us ready to do God’s will.” [Klyne Snodgrass, Ephesians NIVAC, p. 354]

Peace is not about running away. Instead, we are called to be ready to stand firm in the gospel, no matter the circumstances. We find that when we live “ready,” peace meets us in the storms through the Spirit’s presence, guarding our hearts and minds as we worship, pray and seek the Lord. We also find that as God’s peace equips us to overflow with God’s peace to the people around us, especially in our homes and those closest to us.

Prayer: Jesus, we call out to you, for you are our deliverer and perfect peace in the midst of the storm. Ready us to pursue your will in our lives today. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

– LB

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Day Three: Stand Firm

1 John 4:16b, 18 (NIV) – God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

Ephesians 6:13 (NIV) – Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

This “stand” mentioned three times in Ephesians 6:10-14 is plural. We are to live clothed with the full armor of God so that we can stand firm together as God’s people in the gospel, praying for our world, and those around us at this time. We experience this again and again in our churches, fighting and standing together, praying for breakthrough for our families, our children for VBS, or for the college students, or for those going to Set Free. As we pray, let us be ready with the gospel and stand firm, and even after all that, to stand.

Let’s pray for our virtual meeting times this week praying for one another so that we would be ready to stand together. As we pray, let’s also worship to the song “Surrounded ( Fight My Battles )” by Upperroom. May this be how “we” fight our battles!

Prayer: Jesus, we lift up our families, our ministries, and our churches to you. Equip us together to be ready with the gospel as we meet this week. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

– LB

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Day Two: Put on what you already got! #OOTD

Isaiah 52:7
How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
“Your God reigns!”

The armor we are to put on is what God has done and has equipped us with already:

(1) The belt of truth buckled around our waist. We have received truth about who God is, of his power to save, who we are as his children, and who we are as his church. We are to put it tightly around our waist everyday living in it and speaking it to others in love.

(2) We are to be equipped with readiness of the gospel of peace. We are ready to carry the good news of the gospel that has brought us peace to wherever we are going, whether right down the hall in our homes, or as we step outside.

This is the armor of God that we have as God’s people to put on every single day. It is not just defensively equipped, but offensively readied upon us.

Prayer: Thank you for the truth that you have made known to us through Jesus Christ, that we have been saved and we belong to you. May this peace we have received overflow from our lives into this broken world that needs your peace so badly. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Day One: We are Strong only in the Lord, the Lord is Strong

Zephaniah 3:17
The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.”

“The Lord is strong, he has given us his mighty power. He is a warrior, God and King, and has worked righteousness and salvation himself for his people. He is victorious, mighty to save, full of love and delight, and fully able to rescue us. This is the warrior Paul had in mind. He rescued us not in the way we would have imagined. He has conquered death, sin, and the bondage in our lives through his work on the cross. It is in this warrior God that we receive our armor.” [paraphrased from Brenda’s message]

We are strong only in the Lord. This is the full armor we have received and can put on every day to stand firm. As we declare this, let’s worship to, “Exalted Over All by Vertical Worship.

Prayer:  Lord, you are our Mighty Warrior who saves! You are strong and mighty to rescue us and we are victorious because of what you have done on the cross for us.  You alone are worthy! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

– LB

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